Back Again

from Stocksnap.io

I know, I’ve been an extremely casual blogger the past several years. My first blog, Lake Placid Skater, was on hiatus since October and I haven’t posted on this blog with unique content since at least a year ago. Fortunately, that’s about to change.

After several years of college, I finally graduated with a degree in Communications from Empire State College. When I wasn’t studying or completing schoolwork, I was writing freelance, skating, helping my mom run our business (Lake Placid Skate Shop) and trying to clean up my life.

“Trying to clean up my life” is an open-ended goal, as I’m sure no one really entirely manages to clean all clutter and difficulty out of their life. But I’m working on it. For me, that starts with cleaning my surroundings, ditching items I no longer use or need, and trying to create space for new opportunities.

It can occur on a physical level as well, shaking off old habits that aren’t beneficial and “cleaning” the body internally. For me, it was about stopping the self-destructive cycle of binging on unhealthy food then eating healthy for a while, only to keep repeating the process. I can honestly say I have not had a “slip-up” for three weeks and counting.

I also try to take this opportunity to introduce new regimens and practices to my life. I’ve started trying to “oil-pull” at least three times a week and try not to drink caffeinated beverages after 6 pm. I am also trying to practice “intermittent fasting”. It’s a slow process, but I find adding practices slowly is a better way to go than trying to implement everything all at once.

Another addition is exercise. When the oval melted a few weeks ago, I stopped skating abruptly. I went from skating 2-4 hours five days a week to not skating at all. Obviously, this is not a great idea. So I plan to return to figure skating regularly, now that the season is over. I skated this morning, and it felt great!

Gratitude is also important. Having had a trying past few years, I was tempted to give up on gratitude, since everything had clearly given up on me. But I’ve noticed that it’s the other way around–when you’re grateful for what you DO have, you bring more into your life. And there is so much to be grateful for. For example, here’s my list (and explanations why I am so grateful):

1) Have a new car that can get me where I need to go. I’m grateful because there were many times in the past 12 years where I have either not had a car at all, or had one that was so used there were significant limits on where it could and could not go. That has all changed with this new car.

2) Having a new computer. I received one as a gift when I desperately needed a reliable way to communicate and finish my last semester of school. It changed my life for the better and I am happy for it every day.

from Stocksnap.io

3) Having healthy food to eat. My mom is willing to cook all this wonderful, local, organic food that I enjoy on a daily basis, ( I help, but she’s the chef of the family). No matter how difficult life gets, I always have enough food that I enjoy and nourishes my body.

4) Having clean water to drink. We get our water at a local spring and it’s always clean, crisp, and delicious. I’m grateful because I know many people don’t have access to such wonderful water, and know that I am lucky to have a spring minutes from my home.

5)Being able to move without pain. I know there are many people who are not as fortunate, and even moving is a difficult process. I am able to exercise, dance, stretch, walk, run, cycle, and do whatever else I can imagine–this is freedom in itself.

These are just some examples….but when you think about what your life would be like without things you take for granted, it changes perspectives and allows more abundance to arrive.

So what are you grateful for? Personally I’ll be grateful for spring….but I’m not forgetting my other blessings! 🙂